NFC East - 2_Dallas Cowboys1

St Louis Rams Gameday HQ

NFC EAST
COWBOYS
2014 STRENGTHS:
• Strong receiving tandem, dependable and
productive kicking game
Cowboys Offense
LARRY FRENCH/GETTY IMAGES SPORT
No matter how you look at it, the fortunes of the Cowboys
rely heavily—and in the case of some fans, completely—on
the arm of Tony Romo. For all of the big numbers that Romo
accumulates, there remains a strong opinion throughout the
Dallas world that Romo is not capable of leading the Cowboys
to the Super Bowl championship. Some think he can barely get
them into the playoffs. Judging by the team’s relative lack of
success the past several seasons, that opinion is pretty solid.
It’s not that Romo is awful. Far from it. Last year, he threw
only 10 interceptions, but all anybody wanted to talk about was
the one he tossed against Denver that led to a Broncos victory.
This despite his already having amassed 506 yards and five TDs.
The Dallas ground game has a strong weapon in DeMarco
Murray, who rushed for 1,121 yards and nine TDs last year. He
doesn’t have breakaway speed, but Murray averaged 5.2 yards
per carry and can be quite productive. Trouble is, Dallas doesn’t
have much at all behind him.
Dez Bryant may be mercurial, but he caught 93 passes and
scored 13 times in 2013. There aren’t too many more productive
2014 WEAKNESSES:
• Weak overall defense, reshuffled offensive line,
lack of backfield depth
DALLAS
targets in the league. Jason Witten snared
73 passes, scored eight times and continues
to be a great target for Romo. He’s getting
older and caught 37 fewer passes than he
did in 2012. Terrance Williams has the
ability to get deep from either the tight end
or the receiver position, and Cole Beasley is
a solid possession target.
Romo was sacked 35 times in 15 games
last year, and despite Murray’s success,
Dallas managed just 12 touchdowns on the
ground all season. The offensive line isn’t
abysmal, but it needs help.
That’s why the Cowboys drafted Notre
Dame’s Zack Martin in the first round in
May. He played tackle for the Irish but
will likely start inside, because tackles
Doug Free and Tyron Smith are steady,
particularly Smith, a Pro Bowler last
season. The other interior pieces, center
Travis Frederick and left guard Mackenzy Bernadeau, are solid
but not necessarily stalwarts.
Offensive Player to Watch
It’s always about Romo, isn’t it? He missed the Cowboys’
big showdown with Philadelphia in week 17 with a herniated
disc in his back that required surgery, leaving the overmatched
Kyle Orton to lead Dallas to the division title. (It didn’t happen,
although things weren’t as bad as some thought they would be.)
Romo threw for 3,828 yards last year, 31 TDs and just the 10
picks. But his completion percentage of 63.9 was not that high,
and there are still those waiting for him to lead the Cowboys to
great things. Many don’t believe he can. Romo is the ultimate
lightning rod for this team, and it doesn’t matter whether the
defense is poor, or the ground game lacks depth. It’s all about him.
Cowboys Defense
This unit was awful last year. It ranked 32nd (that’s last,
folks) in yards allowed and 26th in points surrendered. Dallas
Tony Romo